Journal

The Times Brief - A school-leaver’s report for Sir Rupert Jackson

Writing in The Times’ Brief, Andy Ellis assesses the work of retiring judge Sir Rupert Jackson, during his time as the government’s unofficial costs guru.

In the article, Andy contends that Mr Justice Jackson’s prediction that costs budgeting would become broadly accepted has been proven accurate. Judges have been prepared to make costs management orders even in cases over the £10 million threshold, and the parties have also seen the benefits in budgetary control.

However, Andy argues that despite his successes, the stand-back proportionality test remains arbitrary and there is a lack of guidance for practitioners.